Technology for hygiene in the food and beverage industry

The food and beverage processing industry is one of the most highly regulated industries and faces unique challenges, not the least of which are related to hygiene. Trelleborg plays an important role by contributing a variety of solutions to ensure the hygienic production of food and beverages.

The food and beverage processing industry is one that impacts on all our lives, handling virtually all that we eat and drink. We rely on processing companies to deliver the product we want, where we want it, in the form we want and, most importantly, reliably safe. Regulations are stringent and globally controlled through major government bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Trelleborg contributes to ensuring the hygienic production of food and beverages. Many of its products are integral to processing equipment such as the thousands of seals used in a typical processing line. It is vital that there is no risk of these contaminating the system. That means that they must be compatible with sometimes aggressive process media and withstand the stringent cleaning regimes involving destructive chemicals.

Special hoses and couplings are also provided by Trelleborg. These are used in everything from dry goods transport to wine production. Trelleborg’s vibration isolation solutions are used under the base of food processing equipment.

Here are some examples of Trelleborg’s solutions for the food processing industry.

Seals for filling heads: Ultra-clean seals prevent leakage and ensure there is no contamination at the critical filling stage of production.
Trelleborg products: Variseal Ultraclean, O-rings

Seals for valves in the filling mechanism: Valves control the amount of liquid fed into the bottle. Low-friction seals that withstand aggressive cleaning regimes are required in these dynamic applications.
Trelleborg products: Scrapers, molded components, Glyd Ring, wipers

Seals for bottle lifters: Seals are required for the pneumatic pistons within the cylinders that lift the bottles for filling. The low friction and wear resistance of seals are important to maximize productivity.
Trelleborg products: Slydring, Glyd Ring

Hoses that meet standards: Trelleborg supplies a wide range of hoses and couplings for food processing applications. These are designed and manufactured with hygiene in mind. Compounds are compliant with global food standards, while smooth extruded inner tubes can withstand aggressive cleaning regimes. This, combined with specially designed coupling systems, means no bacterial growth is possible on hose assemblies.

Seals for hygienic-design couplings: Hygienic-design couplings are located at virtually every connection in the system. Gaskets and seals must withstand stringent cleaning-in-place regimes to give long-life and no contamination.
Trelleborg products: Sanitary gaskets, O-rings

Anti-vibration isolation: Isolation systems reduce vibration to the support structure of equipment by up to 90 percent and significantly lower noise levels. Products are supplied in a variety of different polymer compounds along with silicone and stainless steel for critical food production applications.
Trelleborg products: Cushyfoot, TF bushes.